How to declutter your home

1 – If something comes in, take something out If you’ve found yourself with a couple of adult onesies and two copies of ‘Fifty Shades’ then why not donate the duplicates to a local charity shop? Think realistically if the gift is something you want or need, or if somebody else would enjoy it more. Balancing out what’s come in the house by removing something else will free up precious space. Creating this pattern of recycling and sharing is refreshing and keeps control of any unnecessary build-ups.

2 – Smooth lines Clutter drains your energy, and that’s one thing nobody wants to waste. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a peaceful home at the end of your day? Busy shapes in the corner of your eye are distracting; you should let your senses have a real chance to rest. Match colour hues of soft furnishings and ornaments to create a cohesive look and experiment arranging areas with balanced texture and volume. Decorative boxes lift a messy space and group your belongings together, making things easier to find in a desperate rummage. Look out for vintage suitcases in charity shops and stack them for an impressive but cheap interior design solution to your storage.

3 – Collecting ‘At Home’ Be ruthless, do you really need to keep all of those magazines? Of course those glossy cover stars look great, and the content is priceless, but why not pass on your well-thumbed ones to your local doctor’s surgery where they’ll be a great relief to all the waiting patients. Keep any issues that you really love or still refer to, or try an eBay sale for any classics you don’t want.

4 – Frame, file or throw Everybody get’s sick of filtering through all the junk mail you’re bombarded with. All of these take away deals are not helping the diet! Keep a tray by the door to separate the post that actually needs dealing with, the rest can be hidden in a smart wicker recycling box straight away. If you don’t need to file it and you don’t want to frame it then get it out the house. It can be useful to set aside designated time every week where you can filter through it all.

5 – Mindfulness You’ll be hearing this buzzword crop up all over the place this year; people are finally starting to loosen their reigns. Slowing down your approach and being more thoughtful about your decluttering can help stop you getting overwhelmed and feeling defeated. Choose an area to focus on drawer-by-drawer or box-by-box. Ask yourself do I want this? Do I need this? Have I used this recently? Do I love this? Is it beautiful? Is it meaningful? Once you’ve answered these questions then you are ready to make a truly insightful decision on what to keep, donate or bin.